Panic attacks in perimenopause and menopause
These are awful because they very often come out of the blue. Having a panic attack can be highly distressing for someone who is normally quiet and calm.
What a panic attack can feel like?
They can make your heart race. You can sweat. You can end up becoming very pale. You can start shaking. You can become immobilised, or you can be in so much of a panic that you can't think and you can't move. Very often, you can't even think of a trigger, so this just happens suddenly out of the blue. You can be at work, you can be sitting watching TV, you can be in the supermarket. It can happen anywhere.
What causes them?
The main reason for this is that, especially in perimenopause, your hormones can fluctuate dramatically from day to day. So, one day, your oestrogen levels can be up, and you can feel absolutely fine. The next day, they can plummet. And if you get this plummeting effect, where it happens very quickly, it can affect your nervous system and mood, and that can then lead to a panic attack.
There can also be other reasons to look out for, such as dehydration. Believe it or not, dehydration affects your nervous system. You could also be affected by low blood sugar if you haven't eaten for a while.
In this situation, if you're getting panic attacks regularly, it's a good idea to keep a little diary because you might find they come at roughly the same time of the day; then you can link it to the fact that, "Oh, I've not eaten for three or four hours. I've not had anything to drink for a long time."
Stimulants can trigger panic attacks too. So, it can be things like a cup of coffee, a cup of tea, or one of these caffeinated fizzy drinks. Some people find that wine can do it now. You might get a little bit more sensitive to alcohol. It could be just having a really sugary doughnut or maybe something that you don't normally have. That may rev up your nervous system, and then your body just goes into flight or fight, and it thinks there's something majorly wrong when you know there's nothing wrong at all.
What can help?
Here are a few things I recommend to help ease or prevent panic attacks:
Remember to drink plenty of water, at least 1.5 litres a day. Eat little and often so that you're keeping your blood sugar stable. Reduce your intake of high-salt and high-sugar foods, and limit your caffeine. Eat healthy snacks between meals. If you know that it’s going to be a long time before you can sit down and have a proper meal, take a snack with you: just a handful of nuts, or dried fruit. Some of these little protein balls can be really helpful. Tip: You could try making them yourself, with this delicious recipe - Chocolate Orange Energy Balls.
You can also try the herb Passion flower (also known as Passiflora).
I hope you found this helpful. Where is the worst place or time you have had a panic attack? Please share your stories. You know I love to read them, and you sharing your stories is going to help other women as well.
Until next time, take care and have a lovely week.
As I mentioned above, this is an extract from one of my longer blogs. If you would like to read this full blog, head over to Scary symptoms of perimenopause and menopause Part 1.
